The Rabbits' Christmas Party: Roasting Apples
Watercolour
ca. 1892 (made)
ca. 1892 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.
This drawing is one of a narrative series of four finished watercolours in the Linder Bequest known as ‘The Rabbits’ Christmas Party’. The sequence begins with the arrival of the rabbits at the party. They are then shown enjoying their Christmas dinner and roasting apples in front of the fire before their departure at the end of the evening. Potter gave the four drawings to her aunt, Lucy Roscoe, her father’s sister. Another pair of scenes related to the series are known, in which the rabbits dance and play Blind Man’s Buff.
In this, the third in the series of four held at the V&A, the rabbits are shown grouped around a fireplace awaiting a dessert of roasted apple.
This drawing is one of a narrative series of four finished watercolours in the Linder Bequest known as ‘The Rabbits’ Christmas Party’. The sequence begins with the arrival of the rabbits at the party. They are then shown enjoying their Christmas dinner and roasting apples in front of the fire before their departure at the end of the evening. Potter gave the four drawings to her aunt, Lucy Roscoe, her father’s sister. Another pair of scenes related to the series are known, in which the rabbits dance and play Blind Man’s Buff.
In this, the third in the series of four held at the V&A, the rabbits are shown grouped around a fireplace awaiting a dessert of roasted apple.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Rabbits' Christmas Party: Roasting Apples (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour and pen and ink over pencil on paper |
| Brief description | Watercolour showing rabbits sat around a hearth, where they are roasting apples, from the series 'The Rabbits' Christmas Party', by Beatrix Potter, ca.1892; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.1005. |
| Physical description | A square composition with rabbits sat around a fireplace roasting apples; the room is decorated with holly and mistletoe and some of the rabbits have fallen asleep. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number] |
| Object history | Drawn by Beatrix Potter ca. 1892 and given to her aunt Lucy Roscoe. Acquired by the V&A from Leslie Linder (1904-1973) in 1973 as part of the Linder Bequest, a collection of ca. 2150 watercolours, drawings, literary manuscripts, correspondence, books, photographs, and other memorabilia associated with Beatrix Potter and her family. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale. This drawing is one of a narrative series of four finished watercolours in the Linder Bequest known as ‘The Rabbits’ Christmas Party’. The sequence begins with the arrival of the rabbits at the party. They are then shown enjoying their Christmas dinner and roasting apples in front of the fire before their departure at the end of the evening. Potter gave the four drawings to her aunt, Lucy Roscoe, her father’s sister. Another pair of scenes related to the series are known, in which the rabbits dance and play Blind Man’s Buff. In this, the third in the series of four held at the V&A, the rabbits are shown grouped around a fireplace awaiting a dessert of roasted apple. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | LB.1005 - Linder Bequest catalogue no. |
| Collection | |
| Library number | BP.1471(c) |
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| Record created | March 18, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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